What Makes Digital Agencies In Minneapolis Unique
With 78,839 new job postings in 2020 and a median salary of $58,406, Minneapolis is among the best cities for jobs in the US, outranking Seattle, Austin and Dallas.
In recent years, the city of Minnesota has emerged as a significant player in the tech industry. And to such an extent that it’s considered a serious contender to much more expensive tech hubs like San Francisco, Boston or New York.
This is why skilled professionals, including digital specialists, are flocking to Minneapolis.
In fact, in 2020, the city employed 32,069:
- Web developers
- Software engineers
- Programmers
- QA testers
This means that digital agencies in Minneapolis hire highly-trained experts who can develop exquisite business websites, mobile applications and custom software solutions.
Compared to their US equals, what makes digital agencies in Minneapolis truly unique is their broad knowledge and expertise in the locally dominant sectors.
According to Forbes, the core industries that fuel Minneapolis’ economy are:
- Technology
- Financial services
- Retail
- Biomedicine
Therefore, because they know well the local market and audience as well as the competition, a digital agency in Minneapolis is able to craft powerful digital strategies for businesses operating in these sectors.
Their thorough experience of the local industries allows them to have a competitive edge over their US counterparts.
What Do Digital Agencies In Minneapolis Do?
A digital agency in Minneapolis offers a broad scope of services in the sphere of digital communication and technology.
From web development and digital marketing to branding or software engineering, a full-service digital agency can help you boost your online presence, grow your business exponentially, increase sales and more.
The most coveted services you can outsource to a digital agency in Minneapolis are:
1. Digital Marketing Services
The outbreak of the global pandemic has pushed consumers to shift their shopping habits online. So, it’s ever more important to take your business online.
A focused digital marketing strategy developed by a dedicated team of experts will connect you with existing and prospective clients, helping you build lasting relationships with your customers and drive more sales.
These services fall under the umbrella of digital marketing:
Online specialists know how to leverage these digital channels to help you increase brand awareness, generate quality leads, rank higher in search, drive conversions and more.
For instance, around 64% of companies invest in search engine optimization. This is because, according to HubSpot, SEO generates a whopping 1000%+ more traffic than social media platforms do organically.
So, not investing in SEO is a missed opportunity your business can’t afford.
A full-service digital agency in Minneapolis can lend you a much-needed helping hand to manage all your online marketing activities in a coherent and consistent way.
2. Web Design And Development Services
In this digital world, it’s imperative to have a professionally designed website for your business.
Essentially, a website is a marketing tool. It’s the initial point of interaction consumers have with your products or services.
So, to lure visitors and provide them with a positive user experience, the website should have easy navigation, attention-grabbing messaging and be all-round attractive in terms of design.
This is where a digital agency steps in.
They have teams of web designers and developers skilled in various programming languages and platforms who can build custom business websites or eCommerce stores with great user experience that engages and converts users.
Web design and development services may include, but are not limited to:
- Web development
- UX/UI design
- eCommerce web design and development
- Improving website performance
- Web hosting
- Website maintenance
- And more
3. Other Services Your Business Can Outsource To A Digital Agency In Minneapolis
A full-service digital agency in Minneapolis can typically provide these additional services:
- App design and development
- Custom software development
- CMS custom solutions
- VR/AR software and apps
- IoT solutions
- And more
How Much Do Digital Agencies In Minneapolis Charge For Their Services?
Digital agencies in Minneapolis usually offer these billing models:
- An average hourly rate: $100 - $149/hour
- An average project cost: $5,000 - $10,000
How much will you pay for digital services in Minneapolis depends specifically on:
- How complex your project is
- The type of services you require
- The number of specialists involved
- The project timeline
- And more
Why Should You Hire A Digital Agency In Minneapolis?
First and foremost, hiring a digital agency will help you reduce costs and save valuable time.
This is because a team of seasoned web designers and developers, branding strategists, content specialists, copywriters, SEO experts and more will oversee all your marketing efforts and overall online presence.
Moreover, if your company operates in Minneapolis’s major industries such as finance, technology or retail, you’ll certainly be in good hands as a digital agency in Minneapolis boasts deep experience in these local sectors.
How To Choose The Right Digital Agency In Minneapolis
You might think that selecting a digital agency is an easy-peasy task. However, unless you have a few clear guidelines, the process might be laborious.
So, consider these aspects when choosing the right digital agency in Minneapolis for your brand:
- Your goals: First you must decide whether you need end-to-end digital services, from website development to all aspects of digital marketing or you only want to improve a specific part of your business growth like boosting your Google rankings. In that case, it’s best to hire a digital agency that specializes in SEO services. Some digital agencies in Minneapolis excel in one or a few types of marketing so it’s crucial to define your business goals right from the start.
- Their portfolio: Flip through each potential candidate’s portfolio to see their most successful projects and best-case studies. You can go a step further and test their capabilities and creativity: browse their recently built websites to check if they’re easy-to-use and appealing enough, try their mobile apps to verify functionality, go to their clients’ social media to see if their posts are engaging and so on.
- Their niche experience: Go through their roster of clients to find out if an agency has dealt with clients within your industry and solved similar business problems. Choosing a digital agency that proves expertise in your niche can go a long way as they’ve already tapped into your field of work: they know the competitors, the buzzwords, the language your target audience uses or the type of content that makes them tick.
- Their team: You should choose a digital agency in Minneapolis that has senior-level experts on board to increase your chances for project success. So, try to get to know the team to ensure your project is in excellent hands. Find out which specialists will work on your account, what their expertise is, their level of enthusiasm and commitment and whether they’re familiar with your industry.
10 Questions To Ask Digital Agencies In Minneapolis
Don’t book meetings with prospective agencies unless you’ve managed to gather as much information as you can about their quality of work, processes, project management structure or organizational culture.
However, once you collect this vital info, you can set interviews with each prospective candidate and ask them these 10 questions:
- Have you worked on projects similar to ours?
- What does your strategic development process look like?
- Can you tell us an estimated timeline for achieving our goals?
- Can we review some of your best-case studies together and explain how you achieved success?
- Will you ensure our website follows the best SEO practices?
- How do you measure and track the success of your digital campaigns?
- Does your team keep up with the latest trends?
- Who will be our main point of contact?
- What type of service would you say you’re most proficient in?
- Will there be any extra fees not included in the project cost?
Takeaways On Digital Agencies In Minneapolis
Digital agencies in Minneapolis are well-equipped to take care of your digital presence and help your business:
- Build brand awareness
- Generate qualified leads
- Drive organic website traffic
- Grow your email contact list
- Increase conversions
- Drive sales
- And more
The key component that sets apart digital agencies in Minneapolis from their US colleagues is their extensive experience in the locally dominant industries:
- Financial services
- Technology
- Retail
- Biomedicine
They usually charge between $100 and $149 per hour.
To pick the best agency for your business, take these few steps:
- Define your business goals
- Explore their previous projects
- Identify their industry experience
- Get to know the team members
Good luck!
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